A Brief History of Love
by heartbeatbop
Summary: Before their happily ever after, Ron and Hermione's relationship had a story of its own.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I'm not completely following canon. Just enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Hermione!"

My eyes snapped open and I bolted up with a start. It was still the middle of the night; I could only have been asleep for a few hours. I looked around me, clasping my chest in surprise, to try to find the source of the disruption. I couldn't clearly make out the voice – so I began grasping for my wand.

"Hermione," the voice was gentler this time, gentler and also much nearer. I felt a hand clasp mine. I gasped.

He laughed, as if he hadn't suddenly woken me from a dead sleep, but that I had simply said something amusing. With a flick of his wand his face was suddenly illuminated and I could see that he was still in his pajamas. His red hair and pale face, covered in freckles, were clearly visible even in the dim lighting.

"Ron? Pardon me, but I believe I was sleeping. What exactly are you doing in my room at this hour?" I looked around me, slightly bewildered, adjusting my eyes to the light. I had only just settled at my childhood residence in Westminster Abbey in these past weeks, ever since I had retrieved my parents from Australia and restored their memories. After the defeat of Voldemort at the Battle of Hogwarts, there had been no reason for me not to bring them back to England, as there safety was no longer in danger. I had promised Harry and Ron that I return to The Burrow after I had spent some much needed time with my family, and although the day I would leave my parents again was rapidly approaching, I was extremely happy to see Ron, regardless of the circumstance.

My face softened upon noticing that he looked a bit hurt at my outburst. Our relationship had only changed a few short months ago. After almost ten years our platonic childhood friendship had evolved into something more. It was still difficult and overwhelming to accept this change among the so many others that had taken place recently. The defeat of Voldemort was one of those things, and nightmares of him and death still invaded my dreams from time to time. But mostly, all was well. Things were better. The future looked bright.

But what was he doing here, barging into my room at this hour? Still, I couldn't help from jumping out of my bed and hugging him as tightly as my arms would allow, nightgown and all. "I'm sorry, Ron," I said, coming out of the hug. He looked surprised at the sudden shift in mood. "I was only startled. I've missed you." I looked up at him sheepishly, not knowing what sort of reaction to expect – perhaps he had been caught up in the moment, perhaps he didn't feel the same way anymore. His sudden embrace during the battle had been a dream come true in a hellish nightmare, but nothing more had been said about that – too much had happened all at once, it had all been business and celebration after the victory. Here we were, though, alone in my room only inches apart. It was, to say the least, unexpected.

What was more unexpected was his reaction. He took my chin and kissed me lightly. "I've missed you too," he chuckled, turning a bright red that I could still see even in the lack of lighting. There was a moment, and I finally came to my senses. I pulled away from him and smoothed my hair, trying to pull myself together. "What are you doing here at this hour, though? Is something wrong?"

"No," he said quickly, "nothing's wrong. I just need to you to come back home with me."

"Back home?" I asked. "You mean to The Burrow? _Now?_"

"Well…yes."

"May I ask why?"

"It's Harry and Ginny."

"What about them?"

"Well…Harry's proposing. Tonight." He glanced at his watch. "Two and a quarter of an hour, to be exact."

"Oh my goodness!" I replied. "Oh my goodness, this is wonderful!" I began doing a little dance, grabbing Ron and jumping around my room with only the dim light guiding us. He laughed again, grabbing me and straightening me out. "Have you been wondering at all why he's doing it _now?"_

I stopped jumping and looked at him pointedly for interrupting my excitement. Also, I didn't enjoy being asked why I _hadn't_ asked a question. That wasn't usually something that happened. Ever. "Well, obviously that was my next question," I huffed, crossing my arms in distaste.

He ignored my quip and began: "We have to ride out there on broomstick, just so we can round up some owls."

"Owls?" I asked, a little startled. "Why?"

"Harry's idea," he said. "And you know they like it best at night. They're more agreeable, and that's just what we need. Now come on, it'll explain itself. I'm sure you love it, you women are quite fond of romantics."

"I resent that statement!" I replied, grabbing my wand and throwing together a suitcase to strap to the back of his broom. I also transfigured my outfit into something more fit for public. "Men enjoy them too, you know. I believe you're probably the only male without sentiment."

"I've heard that a fair few times. Hard as a rock, I am. You would know," he nudged me suggestively, and I shook my head at him. "If that innuendo is aimed at me, I won't hear it and I won't respond to it!" I hoisted my bag up to the windowsill and opened my window curtain as well as the window itself. "Shall we?" I motioned to the still night outside of my room, and before I knew it I was being swung by my waist onto his broomstick, clinging for dear life. We had to have had been going a million miles an hour, as we reached the owlery near his house in what seemed like mere moments.

"Why in the world couldn't we just apparate here?" I said, my knees buckling as we hit the ground. He made another sudden movement, grabbing me as I went to hit the ground and pulling me closer to him. "I just love it when you're on a broomstick with me. It feels like for once in your life you don't know what's going on. That, and the fact that you cling to me like a pigmeypuff on a tree branch."

I couldn't help but laugh. I was giddy and energetic from the unexpected visit, the announcement of Harry and Ginny's pending engagement, and the fact that I happened to be so close to Ron that I could smell his shampoo.

He pulled me towards the owlery and immediately started summoning a few tawny owls toward us. I began doing the same, until we had about a dozen owls altogether. "This should be enough," he said, bringing his wand arm up to summon myself and the owls outside and towards The Burrow. I followed until I finally inquired: "What exactly is it that we're doing? I think now might be the right time to fill me in."

"Well, our neighbor Mrs. Pendamore let us borrow a few of her owls. I mean…if you can call someone who lives a mile off a neighbor…"

"Yes, Ronald, I've gathered that. Now what are the owls supposed to be doing after we get them to The Burrow?"

"Well, you've helped me all you need to at the moment. But when we get back, I need you to wake up Ginny. Give her an excuse to come outside. Tell her there's some sort of emergency; just get her outside. Then George and I'll do the rest."

"You haven't answered my question."

"Oh, haven't I?" he replied jovially. "Well, just wait it out. Like I said, it'll be quite a bit of a spectacle."

I huffed impatiently as we approached our destination. He began walking away from me. "Now go get Ginny!" he said. Soon he was out of sight.

I ran towards his home and upon entering found myself in a quiet, empty kitchen. I went up the steps, hustling until I finally reached Ginny's room. I could see Harry's things lying around the room, and an empty spot in a large bed that was half occupied. I approached her and began to jostle her lightly.

"Hmm…?" She began waking up, rubbing her eyes and finally focusing them on me. "Hermione!" she exclaimed, waking up completely and almost immediately. She grabbed me and started squeezing me tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Ginny!" I said, happy to finally see her once again. I regained composure, realizing there was a task at hand, and finally said: "You need to get outside right now!"

"What?" she asked, startled. "What's wrong?

"It's Harry," I stated, maintaining a very serious face. "Come on, right now!"

She was too surprised to say anything else; she simply followed me as I took her by the hand and led her to the front garden.

We stopped abruptly. Ginny looked around, confused by the silence and stillness of the night. "What's going – "

"Ginny," Harry said, appearing out of nowhere and next to the both of us. I was delighted to see him, but just then I felt a hand on the back of my shoulder pull me behind the house. "You can watch our handiwork from here," I heard George say behind me. I looked back at him, confused by the comment. His brother, partner in crime as well as business, had died only a few short months ago in the battle. They had been known for coming up with ingenious spectacles and inventions. What could he mean by "our" handiwork?

"Ron's becoming quite the little inventor. Never expected out of him, but we must give credit where it's due, am I right, Hermione?" he smirked, and I nodded at him as he disappeared, thankful that he had answered the question without my having to ask.

All of the sudden I heard the bustle of wings flapping. The owls began congregating in the center of the yard, flying in unison with what seemed like a huge roll of parchment in their talons.

The parchment flew open, and on it were the words: "Will You Marry Me?"

A POP! And there were fireworks. Believe me, though; these weren't your everyday Muggle fireworks. They swam and danced on the yard, startling the garden gnomes and forcing them out of their hiding places. I saw a broomstick flying from the top most windows, obviously summoned by its owner. Harry and Ginny came into view on the Firebolt V5, a little gift Harry had purchased for himself after his victory over Voldemort. Little hearts conjured themselves atop of their figures, making Ginny laugh and point. She saw me, gave an exaggerated wave, and then they disappeared from view, soaring off into the clouds.

I felt myself crying and clapping joyously by myself, alone in the garden and feeling slightly ridiculous. I ran up to the house, where I met Ron at the doorstep. "Oh, Ron!" I said. "That was so wonderful! You and George did that?"

"Yes," he said, looking a little perturbed and not at all as excited as I would expect for the occasion. "Listen, I need to talk to you about a few things."

He led me into the kitchen, taking my hand and sitting me down. "I didn't just bring you here because I wanted you to see Harry and Ginny's engagement. There are some things I need to tell you. Important things."

"Okay," I said, sitting myself down at the kitchen table. He stayed standing.

"Ginny's pregnant."

"What?" I exclaimed, almost jumping up from my seat. How could it be? She still had another year left at Hogwarts, for goodness sakes! What would she do?

I started to begin saying something else, but he stopped me. "George and I are leaving for Romania in a month, as well."

I was dumbfounded. Ron waited for a response, but when one didn't come, he continued.

"It's only for a few weeks. George wants me to continue Weasley's Wizard Wheezes as his partner, to take the place of…well, you know…"

His voice trailed off. Finally he turned to me and kneeled.

"I don't thing now is the right time for us to be together."

I tried to contain myself, surprised at the sudden recognition of the situation we had awkwardly avoided for quite some time. "Why?" I asked softly. "What did I do?"

"Nothing! Nothing…Hermione, I – I just want to make sure I have something before we're together, before anything happens. Look at Harry and Ginny, now they're stuck together –"

"Stuck together?" I exclaimed, perturbed at his perspective. "Harry loves Ginny, and she loves him. You know that – "

"Yes, I do. But still, I mean – what if that happened to us? I don't want us to be together just because we feel like we have to."

"I'm sure it's not like that – "

"Maybe not, but maybe it is! We need to live our lives before we grow up, Hermione. Look at them, 17 and 18 and about to get married. They're too young. So are we. We had so much that could've been taken from us, don't you see that? The battle put things into perspective. Fred didn't even get to _live_, and now look at him. Six feet under." He practically spat on the ground. It was hard for me to see him like this, so bitter and cynical. I began crying.

"Hermione, please – " He was close to me now, and he looked upset at my reaction, Well, he should be.

"Ron, I thought – I thought – " I began hiccupping. Taking a deep breath and steadying my voice, I said, "I love you."

He looked at me, complete and utter surprise written across his face. I heard him gulp loudly. I waited for him to say something, feeling more ignorant than I ever had in my life. When I finally felt like I was going to get up and leave, he said, "I love you too, Hermione."

I gasped, and then suddenly his lips were on mine, and we were kissing with so much passion I could barely feel the floor. He grabbed me towards him and then propped me on the table, his arms around my waist and his mouth moving down to my neck. I made an involuntary moan, which sent his lips back to mine and his arms beneath my shirt, which was soon on the floor along with his own.

He continued, caressing my body and neck until we heard a noise come from upstairs. "My room?" he managed to gasp. Without waiting for a response he picked me up from underneath the knee and ran me to his bed, on the topmost floor. He laid me there.

"Now, we're above everyone else, so be quiet," he murmured as his lips started roam across my body.

"Ron!" I whispered urgently. He looked up at me and began kissing me again, as if my objection had been an insistence for him to continue. I couldn't get myself to speak up again; I was in a hazy cloud of lust that I couldn't maneuver out of.

He began removing everything imaginable when I finally said: "Wait!"

"What?" he said, looking up at me, his face red with anticipation.

"I'm…I've never…"

"Oh," he said, understanding my meaning. "Oh. I…do you still…"

"Yes," I nodded, bracing myself, wondering if this would be something I would regret. "But don't leave me," I added, as he began to move himself above me, putting his hand against my flushed cheek the other around my waist. "I don't want you to go to Romania."

"All right," he paused, kissing me gently. "I won't."

I hoped and prayed that he wasn't lying.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning, the other side of the bed was empty. What initially woke me up, though, was a loud rap at the door.

"Hermione? Are you in here?" _Knock, knock, knock._ It was Ginny.

"Yes!" I replied hastily, scrambling for my clothes. "Come in."

"What are you doing here? Where's Ron?"

"He's not here?"

There was a beat, when Ginny and I looked at each other, rather confused. She picked up a note lying on top of the bed, which was in her line of vision.

"Gone to breakfast with George. Didn't want to wake you. Be home shortly," she read. She stood there for a second, holding the paper thoughtfully. "He's been spending quite a bit of time with George lately, ever since Fred…" she trailed off, her eyes got slightly glossy as she tried to avert her train of thought from the subject. "Anyway, what are you doing up here? When did you get here? I didn't see you when I went to bed!" she smiled, giving me a hug. I reciprocated, but rather half-heartedly.

"What's wrong?" she asked, noticing my reaction. "Did something happen?"

"Yes," I said thoughtfully. "I just hope I don't regret it." I sat myself back down on the bed, looking melancholy. I've never been one to become unrealistically optimistic. Last night with Ron had been wonderful, but he had been distant. I had sensed it. I explained the situation to Ginny, who immediately understood.

"My goodness," she said, slightly breath taken. "What did he say we you asked him not to leave?"

"He said he wouldn't."

"Well then he shouldn't," she said, stubbornly. "Why would he lie to you about something like that? I've never known Ron to be that sort of person."

Ginny had always been the closest thing I had had to a sister, and I appreciated her support. Immediately I realized that I hadn't even thought about congratulating her, and my thoughts shifted immediately.

"So you and Harry!" I began. "How wonderful!"

A smile immediately lit her face, and she showed me her left hand with vigor. "Beautiful, isn't it?" she said, letting me take her hand for a closer look. It was a very large diamond-cut emerald surrounded by smaller (but still rather large) diamonds around the entire band. "Goblin-made," she said, elaborating. "Harry distrusts it, you know that, but he saw me admiring it one day and I suppose that's why it's mine. Oh, Hermione…" she grabbed me again, becoming slightly tearful. "I'm so happy!"

"I'm happy for you, too," I replied sincerely, holding her tightly.

A few hours later, after a lot of discussion about weddings and bridesmaids and receptions, Ginny and I decided to have a late breakfast. We threw together some egg sandwiches and decided to take a walk around the garden.

"Where's Harry?" I asked, realizing I hadn't gotten a chance to speak with him since I'd been here.

"Oh!" she said. "Did you hear? He's working for the ministry now, as an Auror."

"Wow!" I said, extremely impressed. "Even without finishing school. I mean, of course! Look at everything he's done."

"Yes," she said. We both sat down on the bench on the east side of the garden, and she turned to me. She looked anxious. "I worry about him though. I mean, I know Voldemort isn't around anymore, but still…it's a dangerous position." I saw her momentarily put her hand to her abdomen, then consciously realize what she had done and remove it. "It's a big deal," I conceded, letting the incident pass without word. She smiled a nervous smile, and then stood up. "Luna's invited me over for the summer. She got a new house with Neville. You know they've been dating?"

"That sounds fitting," I replied. "I'm sure you'll have a lovely time."

"You should think about coming with me," she said. As I opened my mouth to reply, I felt a vibration next to me. It was George and Ron, apparating a few feet away from us. I jumped up as if I had been struck by a bolt of lightening, not sure what to say or do.

He acknowledged my presence with a nod and retreated into the house. Ginny and I exchanged looks, and I quickly ran to catch up with him.

"Ron!" I yelled toward him, trying to grab his attention. He didn't seem to hear me, so I finally caught up with him in his bedroom. There I saw an open suitcase and a large amount of clothing strewn across the floor.

"I thought you said you weren't leaving," was my immediate response. He turned to me slowly.

"You know I have to go to Romania. "

"And why exactly is that?"

"It's for my career."

"Fine, you'll be in Romania for a few weeks. I'll see you when you get back." I crossed my arms stubbornly, daring him to refute.

He sighed and approached me, taking his hand and using his fingers to comb my hair lightly. I shivered.

"I'm sorry about what I said last night," he said finally, after a long pause. "A lot's been happening to me at once. But thing other thing….you know what I'm talking about…that other thing that I said," he smiled, turning red, very aware of his eloquence. "It was true. I do love you. I always have. You know that." He took a finger to my chin, tipping it up slightly. "I won't leave you. So don't think that. Because I can tell that's what you're thinking."

"Why, Ronald, you read me like a book."

"Don't you remember school? I don't read. I'm all-instinctual."

He chuckled, proud of his cleverness. Finally, I asked if he planned to say goodbye to Harry.

"I did," he replied. "This morning. George and I decided we're going to leave a bit earlier than planned."

"Oh," was all I could say. My heart sank.

"Ginny told me she was inviting you to Luna's. I think you should go," he said, beginning to pack once again.

"I don't have to be babysat, Ron," I said, slightly indignant. "Besides, I could just spend a bit more time with my family…"

"I'm just saying, Luna's moved to a really great place in Ireland, right by the ocean. I assumed you'd probably enjoy it."

"Oh," I repeated. He smiled at my response. "Bit testy today, are we?"

"You have an excellent way of doing that, even without trying."

"It's a talent I've always taken pride in," he smirked.

He finished up packing, grabbing his bag and charming it to float behind him.

"I'll owl you when I get there. I promise I'll be back shortly, so don't get too emotional." He kissed me on the cheek.

"Oh, ha ha ha," was my witty reply.

He smiled, and then he came closer to me once again. He took my hand, and then hugged me tightly. "I'm glad you reminded me."

"Reminded you of what?"

"That losing you would be the stupidest thing I could ever do."

"Ohhhh, Ron!" I felt my cheeks turn red, and his did in response. He kissed me on the cheek, and then he was gone.

Later that night, I began making preparations to return home when I was interrupted by Ginny.

"I thought you were coming with me to Luna's!" she said sadly.

"I don't remember actually saying one way or the other," I replied, adding, "I mean, I need to spend a bit more time with Mum and Dad, and…"

"Whatever you want, Hermione," she said, resigned. "Just thought it would be fun to have some girl time." She turned to walk out of the room, and I called after her.

"Wait! Maybe… maybe girl time is a good idea."

Luna greeted us both with open arms, showing us around her new home with vigor. I didn't see Neville, and when I inquired about him Luna informed me that he was working with Professor Sprout over the summer as an assistant and apprentice, conducting some experiments on some unknown plants in Romania. "Romania, eh?" I said under my breath. "Seems the place to be, as of late."

Ginny heard me and sighed, understanding my meaning. "What do you mean?" Luna asked, in her friendly yet extremely probing manner.

"Oh…" I felt myself turn red, trying to think of a response. Obviously the comment hadn't been as 'under-my-breath' as I had initially thought.

"Ron's in Romania," Ginny offered, and although I didn't really want to discuss it, I was grateful I wasn't the one who had to speak about it.

"Do you wish he were here?" Luna asked, obviously not noticing my embarrassment.

"Um…well. Yes, I do," I said, turning even redder, "but he should be home shortly, it's not really a big deal." I said the last part of this sentence very quickly, attempting to end the conversation.

Luna at least picked up on that cue.

"I have a wonderful idea, girls," she began, sounding absolutely jovial in a matter of moments. "I have a new crystal ball! I should read your fortunes."

Ginny and I looked at each other, and she laughed at my facial response. It was that, of course, of pure distaste.

"Hermione doesn't put much stock in the art of divination," Ginny explained. "It's never really…taken up her interest."

"Just for fun, then!" she said, adding, "If there's no stock in such things then such things can't be taken seriously, am I correct, Hermione?" She smiled at me and for a moment I resented her logic. I sighed in resignation. "Fine. But I haven't any luck with crystal balls. It'll probably break!"

Luna scoffed and Ginny giggled as we made our way to a large drawing room. It jutted out of the side of the large house in a circular pattern. It had three large paneled windows with a beautiful view of the ocean. In the middle of the room was a round table with a large glass orb in the center. Surrounding it were three cups and a teapot, which was steaming from its trunk. Reading our looks of admiration, Luna said, "Simply beautiful, isn't it? The ambiance is helpful in finding the inspiration and relaxation needed to enter the spirit realm."

I rolled my eyes, but Ginny and Luna ignored it. "You first, Hermione."

Luna sat near the orb and motioned me to come forward. I reluctantly obeyed, sitting directly across from her. She smiled, closing her eyes and placing one hand over mine. She took her other hand and placed it over the orb, hovering two or three inches about it.

Her eyes opened abruptly, and she gazed into the ball with an unblinking focus.

"I see a child."

I looked up at Ginny instinctively, who turned to me with a look mixed with fear and anxiety. She still didn't know that I knew that her and Harry were expecting. Maybe now Luna and I had just ruined the secret.

"You're having a baby," Luna said, letting go of my hand and sitting back in her chair, looking proud.

Another moment of look exchanging between Ginny and myself.

"_I'm _not having a baby," I said, trying to keep the inflection out of 'I'm.' It didn't work.

"You must be reading that wrong, Luna," Ginny said, a little nervously. "I mean…I think you might be reading about the wrong person. Harry and I…. we're the ones who are having a baby."

"No you aren't," Luna said lightly, as if we were discussing tea or some other sort of non-life-changing topic. "Hermione is. You're not pregnant at all!"


	3. Chapter 3

Note: I'm starting this fanfic back up almost two years on the nose after I began, and I intend to finish it. I'm really trying to hone my writing, make it a little more readable and concise in terms of description, dialogue, etc. I want to finish this as a way of telling myself that I have the discipline and patience to start and finish something original. Therefore, constructive criticism is not only welcome, but also encouraged. So, without further ado…

Chapter 3

Ginny and I looked at each other. I shook my head vehemently.

"No, Luna," I said, absolutely, one hundred percent certain that she was wrong. "There's no way that's true."

"But that's what I see," she said, as matter-of-factly as Luna could sound. "You're pregnant. That's all there is to it."

"There's absolutely no way that you could know for certain I'm pregnant," I quipped, slightly annoyed.

"Well, I am," said Ginny quickly, and her gulp was almost audible. She paused. "That was…what I was saying." She laughed nervously.

Luna and I then exchanged looks, and then suddenly we were all surrounding Ginny in a massive group hug, complete with happy tears and tummy rubbing, even though she wasn't far enough along yet to be visible.

"I'm sorry Ginny," said Luna meekly, after the congratulatory period had subsided. "I didn't know what you meant, exactly…"

"I know," said Ginny, more relaxed. "I was meaning to tell you both. I was just waiting for the proper time. Didn't want to just spring something like that on both of you unexpectedly."

We nodded sympathetically, each leaning in closer to her as if she were fragile, on the verge of breaking.

"Well," Luna said, sounding once again like her utterly bemused self, "why don't we go grab something to eat? I'm starving, and there's a wonderful pub in town."

I sighed in relief in unison with Ginny. We were both hungry; we hadn't eaten since before the trip here. Following Luna out the door, she whistled in no direction in particular. A large coach with several horses pulled up.

"Oh, my, Luna," I said, surprised. Ginny looked stunned.

"You don't have to – "

"Go through all this trouble?" she said, cutting Ginny off and looking whimsical. "It's no trouble. I'm sure you'd much prefer it to broomstick riding in yours and Hermione's condition. Plus, I'm making quite a bit of money off of my recent magazine endeavor."

"I'm not pregnant, Luna," I said through gritted teeth, remembering my annoyance, but before anyone could respond, Luna was rushing us in the coach and hopping in the coach box.

The pub was a definite dive. Even so, it had great food, live entertainment, and butter beer (which only Luna and I partook in). The evening was just beginning to wind down when a tall, dark, forlorn, and quite familiar looking man went to sit down at the pub counter.

"That's Harry," whispered Ginny, completely divulging from our discussion on the dangers of spellbound cosmetics. "That's Harry!" she repeated, almost yelling. She dashed over to him, barely looking at his face before pulling him into a tight embrace.

She brought him over to the table, and immediately I could tell there was something wrong. His face was stern and tired, and he looked a little pissed.

"I was looking for you two all day," he said. "I was going to stay at the motel down the street, but thankfully we can get this settled now."

"What's going on?" I asked.

"It's Ron," he said. "Him and George decided it would be fun to make a little detour to Transylvania before their stop in Romania, apparently they had family there."

"Uncle Bilius," said Ginny.

"Right. Well, they're nowhere to be found. They've fallen off the map."

My mouth went completely dry. I clutched the table for support, even though I was sitting. "What does that mean, 'fallen off the map'?"

"It means that Ron and George made an agreement to check in with me and Mr. Weasley through Floo Network until they had made safe passage to Romania. However, upon their arrival to Transylvania, they ceased communication."

"So there's a chance they're not in any real trouble? They may just be being…irresponsible?" I asked, hopefully. Goodness, this is the only time I ever hoped Ron was being irresponsible.

"Of course there's that. But we need to be safe," said Harry. He paused. "Ron knows better. I highly doubt he would make his whole family worry for nothing."

"Right. Definitely. Of course," I said, considerably flustered.

"So tomorrow morning, we're off. Go ahead and grab your things, you can meet me at my motel room, we'll leave as soon as we get some sleep."

"Well, you don't think you're leaving _me,_ do you?" said Ginny angrily. "This is my brother we're talking about!"

"Yes, but Ginny…" he started, looking suddenly anxious and awkward, "you shouldn't really be dealing with…high stress, in your – you know – _condition."_

Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Luna said, "Well, in that case, Hermione really shouldn't go either."

Harry, ever the gracious one, spit the whiskey tonic he had been taking a sip of, dribbling it all over his face and shirt.

"Wait, what? Wait, wait. Wait. Hermione, you're pregnant? You told them already, Ginny?"

"Well, it just sort of…came up," she said, awkwardly smiling.

"I can see how!" said Harry, throwing his hands up and leaning back in his chair, looking dumbstruck.

"I am _not _pregnant!" I shouted, making the bar go eerily quite. I paused, looking around, suddenly self-conscious. "Well, I'm not."

Harry looked back and forth from Luna to me, looking for an explanation. Already embarrassed and agitated, I refused, crossing my arms and staring directly past him like a petulant child. Luna was accepting a drink from the bartender, who was handing her a fizzy drink with what looked like a large, rainbow beetle as garnish.

"Luna saw a baby when reading crystal ball for Hermione," offered Ginny.

"And you believe it?" asked Harry, looking to me.

"Well, obviously not!" I said, scandalized. "Why do you think I keep repeating 'I'm not pregnant'?"

"Well, I mean, I'm sure you're not," said Harry, patting my hand in a comforting manner. "I mean, according to the tea leaves I should've been dead five times by now. So I'm sure it's fine, unless, you know…"

"What?"

"I mean, is there a _possibility _that you could be pregnant?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes," Ginny interjected. I glared at her. "What? It's true!"

"By…by Ron?" asked Harry, looking at me blankly.

"Well I bloody well hope it isn't Victor Krum!" said Ginny, rolling her eyes at him.

"I used protection," I hissed, not wanting to divulge any more personal business in the middle of a crowded pub.

"Well, er…good," said Harry, obviously wanting to drop the topic.

"_So_," I said, eyeing them both, and Luna, as she sat down with her drink. "There absolutely is _no way_ I could be pregnant."

"Never say never, Hermione," said Luna. "Look at Ginny."

"Oh, god," said Harry, putting his hands against his face in embarrassment.

"Well, Luna…we didn't exactly…use protection," she paused, her face flushing a deep red. "I mean, it was right after the battle at Hogwarts…we were, you know, caught up in the fact that we weren't dead…"

"_Well_," I said clumsily; now I was the one trying to change the subject. "Even if the crystal ball is right, the symbol of a baby could mean…you know, anything. Isn't that right, Harry?"

He nodded, drinking deeply from his drink.

"No seer has ever predicted anything with 100 percent accuracy," said Ginny, "but you should take some stock in it. Just be careful."

Luna nodded, smiling.

"I don't think that will be too hard, considering the circumstances," I quipped.

Ginny sighed, look weary. "So how are you going to find Ron, if you have no idea in Transylvania he might be?" she said, returning to the topic at hand.

He shook his head. "I have no idea."

We all sat back, feeling tired, heavy, and useless. All, that is, except Luna.

"I have an idea," Luna said brightly.

I almost had a mind to say I was in no mood, but considering I had no ideas myself, I kept quiet.

"What's that, Luna?" Harry asked.

"Well, considering as obviously there's been a strong and recent connection made between Ron and Hermione, you could try occlumency."

"Occlumency?" said Harry, looking skeptical.

"Of course!" I said, "How could I forget?"

"What do you mean, Hermione?" asked Harry.

"Well, during our fifth year, I was researching the connection between you and Voldemort, and I came across some interesting research on the different kinds of magical connections that can be established between witches and wizards. Yours was obviously a very, _very _extreme case, but similar connections can be initiated with certain…"

"Intimate acts," finished Ginny, nudging my rib cage and giggling.

"Well…yes," I said, blushing a deep scarlet. "But I've never put my research into practice. Occlumency is a very difficult branch of magic to master. And, no offense Harry, but I doubt you'd be of any help."

"None taken," he said.

"Do you know anyone proficient in occlumency, Luna?" Ginny asked.

"Well…yes. My friend Moira. But she's a bit of a recluse. I watch her cats when she goes on trips."

"Do you think you could talk to her?" Ginny asked.

"Well, sure, but we'd have to go now. She's a bit…nocturnal."

"So she's a vampire," said Harry.

"Harry!" Ginny said. "That's rude. You can't just call someone a vampire."

"Well I don't know," said Luna. "I'm pretty sure she's a vampire."

"How are you friends with a vampire?" Ginny asked, slightly astounded.

"I'm good with cats," Luna shrugged.

"Fine, if it'll help Ron, we'll go," said Harry. "But are you sure she's safe, Luna?"

"Well, she's a nocturnal recluse who may or may not be a vampire and probably a crazy cat lady," said Ginny. "I say we at least keep our guard up."

"Probably a good idea," said Luna.

"Okay, I'm paying the tab, and then we're going," I said. "I just hope this isn't a waste of time."

The dark, abandoned look of Moira's house reminded me too much of Bathilda Bagshot's for my liking, but, after assuring myself that there was no way a large serpent could attempt to kill me this time, I followed quietly behind Luna as we were let in.

For some reason, I was expecting an old, haggard woman with dark hair and red eyes, surrounded by cats. Yes, she was surrounded by cats; and yes, she was quite pale, but other than that she failed to match the description. She was about 30, with bright red hair to her waist, pale blue eyes and extremely thin. Suddenly, she turned to face me, almost glaring, and I remembered my manners.

"I'm Hermione," I said quickly, realizing everyone had already introduced themselves. I smoothed my hair and extended my hand. She ignored it, but smiled brightly. "It's a pleasure."

"Right," I said. I lowered my hand self consciously, but she didn't notice. "Have a seat, all of you. What can I help you with, Luna?"

"Well, it's a bit of an emergency. You see, a friend of ours has gone missing, and we were wondering if there was a way to use occlumency to find his whereabouts. You were the only person I knew well-versed enough in the whole business to be of any help…"

"Has there been a connection established? Occlumency from a great distance is virtually impossible without a strong connection."

"Yes," I said quickly, once again feeling self-conscious. Is this the effect that possible vampire had on someone, or was it just the topic at hand? Probably a little bit of both.

"Can you watch my cats Saturday, Luna?"

Luna nodded.

"Okay, fine. I'll do it. Hermione, come with me. It's you, right? You're the one who has the connection?"

"Y-y-yes," I stammered.

"Fine. Well, There's no way of knowing what might come to you during a session, I'm sure its not something you want to experience surrounded by others."

Ginny looked at Harry and me quizzically. "She's probably right," he said, responding to her doubtful glance. "Hermione, we'll be right here if you need us."

"We're just going to the other room," Moira said, rolling her eyes and grabbing onto my arm. She led me into a large room with some odd magical looking items I didn't quite recognize, but mostly it was quite bare. The layout was circular, and everything was blue and black, reminding me of the night sky.

"Instead of performing a spell to connect yourself to you for my own benefit, I'll be giving you this," she said. She showed me a vial of what I assumed was some sort of potion. "It should refine the connection, making it easier for you to summon his consciousness at will. I should warn you, however, that refining that connection may be quite an affliction. That person will be with you always, and the connection will be strong. Both you and he will always have an access to each other's consciousness. There are things you can do, however, do banish this connection, but they're quite painful – "

"That's fine," I say quickly, before the courage left me. The memories of Harry's burden were all too clear in my mind, though I knew this would be – no, it _had _to be – completely different. I grabbed the potion from her and downed in one quick motion. Like most magical potions, it was completely disgusting.

"Ugh!" I gasped, clasping my chest and planting myself on the floor. My head began to pound, and everything faded to black. I thought I had passed out completely, but suddenly there were erratic visions in my head – I was viewing it from Ron's perspective. He was tied up, on a wagon, staring at the beckoning view of a large, dilapidated castle, at least a quarter the size of Hogwarts. Next to him laid George, completely passed out. Then it all went to black again.

I jumped up, light and dizzy, clinging onto the walls for support. Moira followed me, trying to steady me, but I was back with the others in almost an instant.

"I know where he is," I said breathlessly, clutching my chest. "Him and George. They're being held prisoner. And they're at Grindelwald's castle."


End file.
